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Pamela Meanes is the president of the National Bar Association and a partner at Thompson Coburn, St. Louis’s largest law firm. In that capacity, she’s issued a call to action after the non-indictment of Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. The NBA intends to wage a “war on police brutality” by, among other tactics, demanding a DOJ indictment of Wilson, enacting new state laws mandating independent investigations and “diversity training,” a national economic boycott and – here’s the real kicker – staying off of social media. Distinguished barrister and TTAG reader Dirk Diggler is on Meanes’s distribution list and forwarded her email blast. . .

From: Pamela Meanes <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, November 26, 2014 3:16 PM
To: XXXXXXX
Reply To: [email protected]

Subject: *** NEWS RELEASE *** The National Bar Association Issues Next Steps In The “War on Police Brutality”

The National Bar Association Issues Next Steps In The “War on Police Brutality”  

In Wake of the Michael Brown Verdict, Yesterday’s 12:30 a.m. Call to Action Conference Call Brought Members and Community Advocates Together to Begin Our Journey To Justice

WASHINGTON, DC — In the aftermath of the verdict by the St. Louis County Grand Jury, the National Bar Association is still questioning how Darren Wilson, a Police Officer in Ferguson, Missouri, was not indicted and tried for the shooting death of 18 year old Michael Brown. Accordingly, this Association is deeply concerned whether under the current legal standard a victim of excessive and/or deadly force by the hands of a police officer in America can receive fair and equal justice.

During yesterday morning’s national, “War On Police Brutality” conference call held at 12:30 a.m., “REAL SOLUTIONS TO AMERICAN’S EPIDEMIC”, were provided by the National Bar Association President, Pamela J. Meanes along with members of the National Bar Association; Pastor Gregg L. Greer, Founder of Freedom First International and Committee Member of The Southern Christian Leadership Conference; Dr. Cornel West, Activist and author; Pastor Chantel Renee Wright, Founder of Songs of Solomon and Bernard Butler, Founder, Urban Diary TV.

THE PLAN: JUSTICE FOR MICHAEL BROWN

1. Demand the United States Department of Justice Indict Darren Wilson
How to Implement: Submit your demand by contacting the US Department of Justice

By Mail
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001

By Phone
Main Switchboard: (202) 514-2000
Comment Line: (202) 353-1555

By Email
Submit demands to: [email protected]
2. The National Bar Association filed an action seeking to revoke Wilson’s license to be a police officer. 
How to Implement: Click here to sign our petition. 

IMMEDIATE JUSTICE 


1. SOCIAL MEDIA BLACKOUT
We are asking everyone not to use Twitter or Facebook as follows:

  • Tuesday, November 25 – Tuesday, December 2, 2014
  • From 8:09 pm until 12:39 am for a week. (The month and date of Michael Brown’s death and four hours his body laid in the street)
  • During this time, be sure and post the above image. Click here to download.

2. NATIONAL ECONOMIC BOYCOTT WITH LOCAL IMPACT 
As the National Bar Association studies the impact of an economic boycott on police brutality, we wanted to make all aware of several individuals/organizations who have called for an economic boycott:

Pastor Gregg L. Greer, Founder of Freedom First International and Committee Member of The Southern Christian Leadership Conference

Dr. Cornel West, Activist and author, Pastor Chantel Renee Wright, Founder of Songs of Solomon and Bernard Butler, Founder, Urban Diary TV.

Five cities that are being targeted include*:

  • Atlanta 
    Lottery, Macy’s, Target and Bed, Bath and Beyond
  • Chicago
    Lottery, Macy’s Best Buy, Target
  • Houston
    Lottery, Galleria Mall (Designate Mall as of limits for shopping
  • Los Angles
    Lottery,(To be determined in consultation)
  • New York
    Lottery, (Macy’s Target)

LEGISLATIVE CHANGE

1.Demanding the Implementation of New State and Local Laws 
How to Implement: Require your councilperson and state legislators to implement the following laws

LOCAL LAW: Mandating Independent Investigations: Visit your City Hall to locate the following:

  • Contact information for all council members.
  • The expiration date of council members terms.
  • Scheduled council meetings and citizens should attend and demand that the above laws are implemented IMMEDIATELY.
  • Local attorneys (at least two) are asked to attend each council meeting.
  • Demand higher standards for individuals to Become Police Officers (local & state)

STATE LAW: Mandating Independent Investigations: Check your State Legislature website for the following:

  • State Senate and Congressional representative’s contact information.
  • The expiration date of the legislative member’s term.
  • Legislature sessions.
  • Write letters, attend congressional sessions and demand that the above laws are implemented IMMEDIATELY.

STATE AND LOCAL LAW: Mandating Diversity Training

  • Require a standard training program for police officers in every state.

Participate in the National Police Brutality Day On The Hill:

  • Friday, November 28, 2014 and Friday, December 5, 2014
  • Show up on the steps of your state legislative and/or your local municipal building and demand that the above laws are implemented IMMEDIATELY.

More information: [email protected]

2. DEMAND CONGRESSIONAL ACTION BEFORE DEMOCRATS LEAVE SENATE 

  • Congress Pass laws related to:
    • Body Video Cameras
    • Use of Force
    • Elevation of Force
    • Permanent Suspension
    • Felony Police Brutality
    • End the “School to Prison Pipeline
  • Contact Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and demand that he allow Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Virginia) IMMEDIATELY hold hearings on Police Brutality.
  • Contact Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), and demand the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee IMMEDIATELY hold hearings on Police Brutality

The Honorable Bob Goodlatte (R-VA)
House Judiciary Committee
2138 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Personal Office: (202) 225-5431
Committee Office: (202) 225-3951
Online: goodlatte.house.gov

The Honorable John Conyers (D-MI)
House Judiciary Committee
2142 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Personal Office: (202) 225-5126
Committee Office: (202) 225-6906
Online: conyers.house.gov

The Honorable Patrick Leahy
Chairman (D-VT)

Senate Judiciary Committee
244 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-4502
Personal Office: (202) 224-4242
Committee Office: (202) 224-7703
Online: www.leahy.senate.gov

NATIONAL BAR ASSOCIATION LEGAL RESOURCES TEAM
The citizens of Ferguson and this nation are in need of legal representation to those individuals who were arrested for exercising their constitutional rights. If you are a member of the Mound City Bar (MCBA) or Jackson County Bar Association (JCBA), please contact Kendra Howard, President of MCBA at [email protected]. All others should contact Attorney Aramis Donell Ayala, Chair of the National Bar Association Pro Bono Committee at [email protected].

 

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84 COMMENTS

  1. Crack kills. Even funnier is she used her work email to send this. I would hate to be the managing partner at her firm having to explain to institutional clients this drivel, esp demanding Congress hold hearings with less than 8 working days left, or a petition for the Justice Dept to force an indictment (suggesting our system is subject to personal whims and public sentiment) and my favorite, a petition to remove Darren Wilson’s MO license to be a cop without, I dunno, looking up these standards and requirements first.

    I am ashamed to be a member. I need to ask for a refund.

    • Somehow partners get away with doing crazy lefty pro bono crap at my shop, and those of us who don’t agree seem to just stay silent. No large corporation or bank is every going to complain about their lawyers taking on stupid lefty causes at no cost But if a firm, acting for a paying client, defends traditional marriage, the gates of hell will open up and all the usual suspects will use secondary boycotts to crush that firm.

      • Yep. It’s what I say. Liberal/Progressives is a cult of death. The death of a culture, of a society, of a people.

        But this type of self-destructive society destroying belief system isn’t new. Look at the end of the Roman Republic. The same actions were going on then as well; Infanticide, the destruction of the family, a large population on the dole, a large “professional” military and the people no longer expected to be a trained citizen soldier, what was considered sexual perversions being embraced as the new normal.

        There is nothing new under the sun. It doesn’t exactly repeat: but it does rhyme.

      • Worse yet, many firms coerce contributions from associates and income partners for their causes and do so blatantly. If I ever cross-over to the dark side and become a plaintiff’s class action attorney, I have ready-made wage and hour suits against a few firms because of how draconian they are in coercing contributions. Law firms, ironically, can be really stupid employers.

    • Dirk,

      Does she actually have any understanding of due process? What does she think DoJ should do if there isn’t evidence for an indictment? Indict anyway, waste court time and start another round of violence when the inevitable not-guilty verdict comes?

      And why the boycots of those stores? No reason is given, just random “targets of opportunity?” I suspect it will do more damage to the customers than to the stores. I sure hope none them are Thompson Coburn customers.

      And sorry. Congress has no business legislating on local police affairs. Some of the ideas are good, like body cams, but those are local concerns and the federal government has no business being involved. Didn’t she read the Constitution at least once in law school?

      Dirk, I’m also in the St. Louis area. Can you send me a copy of the original email? I’d love to give the TC firm a phone call with a follow up email. 🙂 As a well educated, professional Mexican-American minority, that is.

    • Do you know what type of law this crazy lady practices surely it can’t be criminal law. I am also curious if she can be remanded to remedial truing in how prosecution of a criminal case works, standards of proof etc.

    • New laws are generally a bad thing. We’ve already banned all the bad stuff, and lots of harmless stuff.
      What they need to do is repeal the laws, regulations, or whatever they are, that protect cops from the existing laws against murder, assault, etc.
      All police brutality cases should get investigated by a grand jury, just like the Brown-Wilson case. Then the self defense shooters, like Wilson, can get exonerated, and the guilty prosecuted and imprisoned.

      • Amen to that. We have way too many laws. Rand Paul is one of very few politicians advocating less laws and less government.

        I’m a little tired about the “black justice” crap. Justice is supposed to be colorblind. I want justice for the a$$holes burning down the city and looting stores, regardless of their color.

      • Change laws, new laws, repeal laws, I don’t care whatever works. A grand jury is almost always a political stunt. Prosecutors just need to have the balls and common sense to do the right thing. Mcculloch knew Wilson was clean but decided to go the stunt route. It was just a show, grand juries aren’t designed to investigate.

      • When I have been asked on this case my response has always been that as a c.c. I would be sitting in front of the grand jury for sure if the situation was exactly the same. But my name wouldn’t have been withheld for so long. What is fair for us is what is fair for everyone. The only new law that I would love to see passed is the body cameras. I talked to a couple officers where I live and thy said that they already have cameras in the car and it hasn’t been a problem. They said they have nothing to hide.

  2. From 8:09 pm until 12:39 am for a week. (The month and date of Michael Brown’s death and four hours his body laid in the street)

    Are basic math skills not a requirement in the legal profession?
    By reading her email, I’ve determined that basic grammar and punctuation skills are not.

    • Yeah – she’s also unclear on federalism and the concept of double jeopardy (yes, I know why it’s technically not DJ, but any lawyer who actually cares about civil rights should be offended at the way the Feds do an end-run around the concept).

      • You’d better go read up on double jeopardy again. First, Wilson hasn’t been charged with a crime, nor tried for that crime, hence jeopardy has not attached. Second, since the state and federal jurisdictions are separate, a state charge does not preclude a separate federal prosecution for a criminal civil rights violation. For example, a Byron De La (Delay) Beckwith, who murdered Medgar Evers, was found not guilty of that murder in a Mississippi state court but was successfully prosecuted for the civil rights violation decades later.

  3. Wow, seriously? Perhaps she needs to be brutalized by a upstanding member of her black community…so she can see where the real problem lies.

      • I’ve heard it proposed that one should be acme to train that way. Wake up, get the gun and shoot the target to give an idea of the certified one would experience.

      • I have ME (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), so yes, a nap before a firing session would set me up nicely. If I do anything requiring undue effort, whether too much exercise, my tax return, or dealing with a dimbulb at some essential service organization, I need to have a lie down afterwards to recover from the surge of adrenaline and other tension byproducts that poison my system.

        Sometimes I know it’s not worth the after effects, so I let a lot of hassles just go. You can’t cure stupid in other people, after all, and sometimes my own stupid gets in the way.

      • Heh. Beat me to it. I’m a big fan of the Oxford comma. But when items in a list have internal commas and conjunctions, semicolons are the best way to avoid confusion.

  4. When she says “Lottery”, is she talking about a chain I’ve never heard of, or does she mean not buying lottery tickets? If so, that is a very sad social commentary about her recipients: they buy so many lottery tickets, that ceasing to do so would be a significant action. But I guess that goes hand-in-hand with my prior comment about her poor math skills.

    Also, what’s with the boycott on Target, BB&B, etc.? Did they come to the defense of Wilson, or do something else that would justify explain singling them out?

    • I wondered that myself, as I have never heard of them and wondered what kind of Lottery they were proposing.

      “Spin the wheel and see which retail chain the NBBA (<-Typo intentional) will be boycotting."

  5. Conspiracy: /kənˈspirəsē/ noun
    1. A secret plan by a group to do something unlawful or harmful.
    2. The action of plotting or conspiring.

    This looks like character assassination and harassment at the highest level; when judges conspire to ruin a man who has already been cleared of a crime, justice has truly given way to tyranny and despotism. I am no lawyer. I drive a semi. My opinion on legal issues holds little strength, if any. But, in my common sense opinion, if these people succeed at what they are attempting to do, they will have constructed new inroads to the formation of a slave state.

    I am no fan of police brutality, but I am equally disgusted with judicial corruption.

    • It turns out that “rule of law” is actually “rule by judges,” and once again we can’t escape being ruled by one or more members of the human race. The trick is, which one shall rule?

  6. Uh, you cannot claim a copyright in a short phrase like “black lives matter” so the use of © is inappropriate. But under certain circumstances it could be a trademark or service mark for which you would use a ™ until registered, and then a ®. Maybe she should run her drafts past the trademark and copyright lawyers at Thompson Coburn.

  7. Black lives matter, huh? Where’s the outcry over DeAndre Joshua being murdered during the riot…er… protests? Nary a peep.

    Speaking of which, where’s the outcry from them over the looting, arsons, carjacking and muggings?

    Here we have an organization of defense lawyers suggesting we ignore the mechanisms of the justice system if they do not replicate the result the mob wants. Back in the day, we’d call that a lynching. One wonders how they’ll like it when their clients are subjected to the same sort of mentality.

  8. Somebody enlighten me as to how a boycott has anything to do with this. WTF do Macy’s Bed&Bath or Best Buy have to do with this??????????

    Why did I waste time even reading that crap.

  9. As a gun owner of color, I am stupified in equal measure as angered by this nonsense. Is this what MLK JR, Malcolm X, and so many others died for?

    So that a pox on society who just happens to be darker then the lawman who stopped him is elevated as a cause for equality?

    Is this what the marches in Selma were for? Is this why so many people of white, black, and other races suffered and died for ?

    Is the elevation of a scumbag now the symbol for minority solidarity?

    If he is, then the cause of equality is lost, and those lives have been laid down in the name of lawlessness and cruelty .Our Constitution has granted all people equal representation before all Creation, whoever you hold that to be. I’m waiting for the day when black people in a position of power start acting like it.

    • The worst part is there are so many incidents of unjustifiable police violence (including killings) against blacks that there was no need to latch onto this case of an apparently justified shooting.

      What made this story big news, while the guy shot walking down a hallway by an NYC rookie who claimed his gun malfunctioned (while pointed at an innocent man’s heart?), or the cases where NYC cops emptied multiple magazines into a black man, and other such cases of actual police brutality get ignored?

      • That’s the thing, I heard today someone mentioned the NC trooper who shot a man reaching for his wallet on a traffic stop. Now that’s a clearcut bad shoot, but the problem is they don’t want clearcut because you can’t do anything with it except say it was a bad incident or officer.

        • Correct. Clearly bad shoots will unify, and unity hurts the cause. They need to be able to point a finger and scream “RACISM!” This requires a plausibly good shoot to create a difference of opinion that can be represented as running along racial lines.

      • To be fair, it looks like the NYC stairwell shooter will face charges, but this is only from browsing headlines briefly.

        Clear cut case of negligence resulting in a homicide, in my opinion, unless some evidence of deliberate intent comes to light.

    • Interesting book by gent named Kevin Jackson, called Race Pimping. I believe he also has a website of the same name – racepimping.com

      The interesting thing (or maybe not depending on your analysis) is that he’s the polar opposite of Michael Eric Dyson – save for the color of his skin – Jackson’s actually darker.

  10. When is she calling off the Ferguson Intifada? There still may be a couple of buildings that haven’t been turned crispy. And then maybe she can work on Chicago, St, Louis and other B-on-B crime cities. Giuliani was right — white police officers wouldn’t be there if black people weren’t killing each other.

  11. You know the rub here is that there IS a problem with police brutality and over militarization… problem here is the issue that started the riots in Ferguson IS NO ONE OF THEM.

  12. With all due respect for all those of any race not involved in this horse hockey…aside from all the rather glaring legal and punctuation errors she makes…does she really think that any large group of modern people, addicted to their shiny technology, are going to give it up for an hour, let alone for the periods she suggested?

    Also, in my retail experience, blacks are big fans of Black Friday sales. If they need a something on a deal price, they are not going to pass it up.

  13. WUT??? The lottery? 80% of the folks I see play are black. Don’t see a lot of traction there. Sorry you have to interact Dirk. That’s one rough lookin” gal…

  14. Having worked the cj system and with inner city youth for almost 20 years I have to comment on the disconnect that exist among elitist blacks. On the streets I see Michael Brown’s every day. And he isn’t just black, he’s white, Asian, Hispanic, but he lives in impoverished neighborhoods, is on probation and doesn’t go to school because his parents are not present or are so dis functional it’s unreal. They are illiterate, high most of the time and cannot pass a drug test. They cannot hold a job in fast food. If they do pay their restitution it is often with large bills they pull off a roll and it reeks of pot. I’ve seen 14 yr olds with weapons charges, who the court coddles and let’s off light. THis youth shirked off being an innocent and nice boy a long time ago and was a violent thug. Progressives like the one above don’t care. They invoke race and ignore stats on black on black crime.

  15. When is the Dept of “Justice” going to begin the “Civil Rights” investigation of the NBA, NFL, etc for discrimination? A shocking lack of diversity and obviously intolerant.

  16. So, with all the actual criminal (criminally negligent homicide at the least) police killings, the lawyer’s group wants to hang its hat on an apparent good shoot???

  17. Whether it’s Trayvon Martin or Mike Brown, people who refuse to see the truth that neither instance was some great injustice only show their racism, idiocy, or both. In both cases, the dead man attacked the shooter, in both cases, the shooter rightfully defended themselves from the attack and in both cases, people who should know better jump on the racial injustice bandwagon. All this does is take away the legitimacy of real racial injustice as they start appearing to be boys who cry wolf. Pick a true case, protest that peacefully and maybe someone will start listening and real change can occur, until then all you do is line the pockets of big media and race baiters like Jackson and Sharpton and nothing else will change.

  18. I just don’t get it. I read earlier today someone claiming that Brown was shot after ‘scuffling’ with the police. Scuffling? They found his DNA on Wilson’s gun. There are plenty of example of police using excessive force, why are so many people going nuts over a good shoot? How do they think Wilson should respond? If someone assaults a cop and tries to take his gun, the only way they will avoid getting shot is if the cop misses. With all of the questionable police shootings, why did so many people choose this shooting to have their coniption over?

  19. They’ll have to start start calling in black cops every time they stop a black suspect. Like when they call in a female cop to search a female suspect. Maybe we should go back to segregation. Perhaps, then, these types would be happy.

  20. My wife listened to Nancy Grace this afternoon (whom we both despise), and was unfortunately persuaded by Nancy’s belief (as a former prosecutor) that Wilson was not justified in shooting because he was not significantly injured when punched by Brown, and therefore had no reasonable fear for his life.(Sadly, there are any number of prosecutors who hold similar views on self-defense.) It didn’t seem to make any difference that Brown had committed a robbery ( a felony), that he’d attacked a police officer (another felony), and was shot and killed when it appeared he was attacking the officer again (a third felony). I just don’t get it.

  21. The cynic in me wonders whether Ms. Meanes intends these
    reforms for all officers (including federal) or are some
    officers more equal than others.

  22. Well, IANAL, nor do I hire them, but if I did, I would be looking for the part that says, “National Bar Association”, to file that resume in the circular file.

    Unprofessional, illogical, solipsistic reasoning, combined with borderline hysterical threats against a nonsensical list of targets that have little to nothing to do with the issue.

    This woman just managed to simulaneously lower the “brand” of black lawyers, her Association, and her employer.

    Getting your money back is the least of it, Dirk. NBA desperately needs new leadership.

  23. Boycott social media — LOL! Please, nobody is going to notice or care.

    I have to laugh at the “NATIONAL ECONOMIC BOYCOTT WITH LOCAL IMPACT” list — LOL!

    5 Cities is not National. Boycotting the Lottery, Macy’s, Best Buy, Target — There is another laugh. First, most of the people who would be doing the boycotting probably rely on those places for work. Boycotting the Lottery is funny because that money goes to the states and that money often goes to schools –making that statement seems racist because that demographic is the one most likely to purchase lottery tickets — but since she is black I can say it is racist however, most of the impact is to small businesses in the communities she is trying to help — whatever!

    Boycotts never work. In case they have not been paying attention, whatever the Black community boycotts it will be quickly replaced by Hispanics so there will be no impact.

    This is all feel good BS because they happen to be in the city– in reality, it will do nothing

    Wanting an outcome devoid of the facts would make me scared to use anyone in that law firm.

  24. Oh FFS. Really? What makes black lives any more important that white? Or purple? Or yellow, brown, pink, red, blue, etc? We’re all human f**king beings, damnit. Every color has their trouble makers, some more than others. And why is it that white people are always accused of being racist first? In my opinion, who ever cries “racism” first is the real racist. Although, sometimes my chronic foot-in-mouth disorder causes completely innocent comments to sound like I’m a friggin’ neo-nazi.

  25. I think you’ve all been had.
    I’d like to see the original email.
    There is no mention of this anywhere else on the web except on TTAG.

    • Dan Z has the original I forwarded him. Also, Pam has a rep for foot in mouth disease. After speaking w others, we suspect she sent out a blast email and didn’t have authority to do so. Be that as it may, she still sent it from her work email and not from the National Bar. This morning she sent out a Happy Thanksgiving email. From the same email account. No – I think we have someone who has gone off the rails. Time for her to resign. The only problem is Ben Crump, yes, the guy who can’t complete a sentence, is pres-elect. He would assume office early (july/august is when new admin comes in). But that also would mean a longer period to enjoy his crazy antics. After all, it worked so well for st trayvon’s family. Or not

  26. Perhaps there should be a petition drive asking the DOJ to investigate NBA for conspiracy to deprive Officer Wilson of his civil rights…

  27. How about a “Next step” in why African Americans should raise their offspring instead of allowing them to become thugs..

  28. From Drudge:
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2852132/Ferguson-protesters-arrested-trying-disrupt-Macy-s-Thanksgiving-Day-Parade-Activists-used-StopTheParade-Twitter-organize-demonstration.html

    Would Macy’s or City of New York have a case for recovering expences from this disruption of the Macy’s branded Thanksgiving Day Parade. Would responsibility for damages accrue to the National Bar Association, and individual members on the Board, personally, as its fiduciaries??
    Or to her employer, since the incitement for the illegal action was on Thompson Coburn time, and email header?

    • The reason I mention it is both Ms Meanes and the organizer of the #Stop the Parade flashmob reference a national conference call on Wednesday, and the sudden reference to Macy’s, first of all retailers, seems kind of ….convenient?

      I’ll have to give Mayor DeBlasio credit for allowing mobs to shut down major arteries in and out of the city, including Lincoln Tunnel, the day before, emboldening the anarko-nitwits further….

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